Automatic washing apparatus for flush lavatories



Feb. 13,1968

SABURO' TAKECHI' EVTAL' AUTOMATIC WASHING APPARATUS FOR FLUSH LAVATOR IES Filed May '7, 1965 llllrllll Fig. 3

IpvNTO 5 Susana A EN flflsuq 1cm non! United States Patent 3,368,225 AUTOMATIC WASHING APPARATUS FOR FLUSH LAVATORIES Saburo Takechi, Kyoto-shi, Masuo Ichimorl, Kyoto-fu, Yuuichi Saita, Kameoka-shi, and Nobuyuki Wada, Hiraoka-shi, Japan, assignors to Tateisi Electronics Co., Kyoto-shi, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed May 7, 1965, Ser. No. 453,964 Claims priority, application Japan, May 12, 1964, 26,641/ 64 2 Claims. (Cl. 4-249) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic lavatory flushing apparatus responding to a change in the static capacitance of an antenna loacted at the lavatory due to the presence of a user. An electromagnetic valve releases a set amount of flushing water for a set amount of time. A delay circuit controlling the operation of the valve delays the flushing until after the user has departed.

The present invention relates to an automatic washing apparatus for flush lavatories or stools, i.e., toilets or urinals, and, particularly relates to a circuit device which actuates to supply automatically a suitable amount of water to a stool when the user of a stool leaves the position which he assumes in using the stool.

It is known to provide automatic washing apparatus which automatically supplies a suitable amount of washing water to a stool upon a stool users leaving the position in which he uses the stool. In such known apparatus when stool user stands in front of the stool or sits on the stool, that is, the stool user assumes a posture in readiness to use the stool, an electro-magnetic valve forming a part of said automatic washing apparatus operates to store water in a storage tank, when the stool user leaves such position, another electro-magnetic valve operates to flush out the stored water in the said storage tank to Wash the stool. Therefore, it has been necessary for stools provided with such known conventional automatic washing apparatus to be equipped with the said storage tank, and that electro-magnetic valves should be provided at the inlet and outlet of each storage tank.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a novel automatic washing apparatus for flush stools, that is toilets and lavatories which does not require a storage tank.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel automatic electrical washing apparatus of simple construction for flush stools which is able to control the amount of flush Water in each cycle of use.

It is still further object of the present invention to provide novel, simple electrical automatic washing apparatus for flush stools, which is able to control the duration of flow of flush water in each cycle of use.

The objects and nature of the present invention will be better understood from the following description. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a circuit diagram of one embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram of another embodiment of the present invention, and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are signal form diagrams of the circuits shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

The present invention may apply to not only a stool for a water-closet but also a stool for a urinal, but for the sake of explanation the following embodiments of the present invention use a stool in the form of a urinal.

Referring to FIG. 1, a stool 1 comprises a water supply pipe 2, a water exhaust pipe 3 and electric plates 5 which are built in or mounted on both sides 4 of stool 1. The electric plates are connected to a capacity detector circuit 6 by means of suitable electric lead-wires. The electric plates serve as an antenna. When a stool user approaches this antenna the static capacity of the antenna increases to more than a predetermined capacity. The electric capacity detector circuit 6, as used in the present invention, employs an oscillator and an amplifier circuit. The change in the capacitance causes the output oscillation of the detector to change its signal. When the oscillation circuit itself serves as the detector, the antenna constitutes the C of the LC resonance circuit of the osecillator. When the stool user approaches this antenna the electrostatic capacitance of the antenna changes from a predetermined capacity and the oscillation frequency changes to discontinue or to begin the oscillation operation, i.e., to supply an ON signal or an OFF signal to the output circuit. The amplifier can also serve as the resonance circuit. In this case the antenna serves as part of the amplification circuit following the oscillator and serves as the capacitance component of the amplifier resonance circuit. Then, when a stool user approaches the antenna, the electrostatic capacitance of the antenna changes from a predetermined capacitance, so that the resonance condition in the resonance circuit changes to attenuate the resonance gain and the resonance circuit supplies the ON signal or the OFF signal to the output circuit. Such electric capacity detector circuits 6 as used in the present embodiment are Well known in this electronics field, so detailed explanation of this circuit is omitted in this specification. Again referring to FIG. 1, 7 is a transistor constituting a NOT circuit, and 8 is a signal width control circuit which operates to supply an output signal having a constant time duration in response to the reception of an input signal at circuit 8. The signal width control circuit comprises a capacitor 9 and a resistor 10 to constitute a so-called differential circuit. An amplifier 11, a relay 12, and an electro-magnetic valve 13 operate to supply a suitable amount of water to stool 1.

The operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 1 will be explained as follows in conjunction with FIG. 3. When the stool 1 is not in use, an operation signal a is not supplied to said signal width control circuit 8 from said electric capacity detector circuit 6, so said NOT circuit 7 supplies a signal b of reverse polarity. However, said capacitor 9 interrupts the said signal b, and so there is no output c at the output terminal of said signal width control circuit 8; as a result, there is no input d to said electro-magnetic valve 13. Accordingly water for flushing said stool 1 is not supplied under such conditions.

On the other hand, when a stool user assumes such that he is ready to use stool 1, said electric capacity detector circuit 6 detects a change of capacity between said electric plates 5 to supply said operation signal a (FIG. 3) and therefore said signal b from said NOT circuit 7 is converted inversely to a signal as a non-opera- I) tion signal. However, there is no change in said signal from said signal width control circuit 8. Meanwhile, the charge of said capacitor 9 is discharged through said resistor and said transistor 7.

When the stool user leaves the position in which he was using stool 1, said electric capacity detector circuit 6 supplies no output signal a and said NOT circuit 7 provides the said output signal b to apply a direct voltage to said capacitor 9; therefore a charging current is supplied to said capacitor 9, and an output signal 0 is provided at the output terminal of said signal width control circuit 8. The output signal c is a signal having a constant width (time duration), which is an output signal obtained by difierentiation of a signal b as shown in FIG. 3. Said output signal 0 is amplified by said amplifier 11, the output of which energizes said relay 12. Therefore, by means of said input signal d to the said electro-magnetic valve 13, such valve is opened to supply flush washing water to said stool 1. The opening time of said electro-magne-tic valve 13 is determined by the width (time duration) of said input signal d and the time of opening is predetermined in the preferred value, so the amount of flush water is substantially constant in each flushing and the flush operation of water terminates automatically in accordance with the time duration of the input signal a'. In the embodiment mentioned above, if the output signal of the electric capacity detector circuit has a wave form such as said signal b shown in FIG. 3, said NOT circuit comprising said transistor 7 will be omitted.

In accordance with the embodiment mentioned above, as soon as the stool user leaves the position of use of the stool, the apparatus of the present invention detects the change of the signal from the electric capacity detector circuit 6, and instantaneously supplies a signal to the electro-magnetic valve 13 to flush washing water to the stool. However, it is sometimes convenient that there is some delay time between the detection of the change of the signal from the electric capacity detector circuit and the initiation of the operation of the electromagnetic valve controlling the flush washing water. For example, this time delay is specially preferred in cases in which the washing water splashes at the stool.

A circuit diagram of an embodiment which has the time delay is shown in FIG. 2, in which the same reference numbers as those shown in FIG. 1 indicate the same circuit elements as those shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, 14 is the last stage transistor of an electric capacity detector circuit 6, 15 is a time delay circuit comprising a capacitor 19, a resistor 17 and a transistor 18. Furthermore, time delay circuit 15 is connected to a signal width control circuit 8. In accordance with this embodiment, when the stool user assumes a posture so that he is ready to use stool 1, and electric capacity detector circuit 6 supplies an operation detecting signal a, capacitor 19 is charged by operation detecting signal a and, at the same time, transistor 18 becomes conducting to make time delay circuit 15 supply an output signal b. However, there is no change in an output signal 0' from electric capacity detector circuit 6, for the reasons explained in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Accordingly, there is, under such conditions, no input signal 0! to electromagnetic valve 13.

On the other hand, when the stool user leaves the position in which he uses the stool, an operation detecting signal a will not be supplied. However, transistor 18 has been caused to remain in conducting condition by discharge current from capacitor 19 and at a time t later, when transistor 18 becomes nonconducting, a signal b will be changed into an operation signal. Therefore, the capacitor 9 is charged, and in a short time discharges so as to produce an output signal 0'. And this output 0' having a predetermined time duration produces a signal d which energizes the electro-magnetic valve 13 so as to flush a predetermined amount of washing water to the stool. According to the embodiment of the present invention, after detection signal a returns to its origlnal condition which indicates that the stool is unused the valve does not operate until a predetermined period of time has passed. Therefore, this last embodiment has the additional advantage that unpreferred flush of Washing water does not occur in the time interval t, even f the stool user may change somewhat his posture in 1118 using of the stool.

As illustrated above, the automatic washing apparatus for flush lavatories in accordance with the present invention is provided with a signal duration control circuit connected to an electric capacity detector device at the next stage. This makes it possible to drive the electromagnetic valve which controls the flush washing water for a predetermined interval when the detecting operation signal returns to original condition, or when the stool user changes his position of use of the stool. Therefore the apparatus provided in accordance with the present invention need not use any water tank, as required in the prior art, and is able to flush a predetermined amount of washing water.

Moreover, the automatic washing apparatus for flush lavatories in accordance with the present invention, which is provided with a delay time circuit which supplies an output signal delayed by a predetermined time after the recovery of the detecting operation signal, and with a signal width control circuit which is connected to the delay time circuit, may flush the washing Water at a predetermined time after the stool user changes his position of using the stool, and preferably does not flush washing water even if the detecting operation signal is supplied in a short time during usage of the stool. The present invention possesses marked advantages from the point of stabilization, and because of its economical utility of water supplied to automatic washing apparatus for flush lavatories.

It is, of course, to be understood that in the apparatus of the present invention a photo-electric detector device may be substituted for the described electric capacity detector device for detecting the presence of a person in position to use the stool.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic washing apparatus for flush fixtures, having a water supply tube, comprising:

an antenna located in the proximity of said flush fixture and sensing the presence of a user by the resulting change in the static capacity of said antenna;

a detector device which Operates when said static capacity exceeds a predetermined value;

a signal width control circuit connected to said detector device and supplying a predetermined width signal in response to the discontinuance of an operation signal showing the presence of said user; and

an electromagnetic valve provided in said water supply tube actuated to flush a predetermined quantity of washing water in accordance with the predetermined width signal from said signal width control circuit.

2. An automatic washing apparatus for flush fixtures, having a water supply tube comprising:

an antenna located in the proximity of said flush fixture and sensing the presence of a user by the resulting change in the static capacity of said antenna;

a detector device which operates when said static capacity exceeds a predetermined value;

a delay circuit to supply an operation signal which is delayed for a predetermined period after the discontinuance of an operation signal showing the presence of said user;

a signal width control circuit connected to said delay circuit and supplying a predetermined width signal in response to said operation signal from said delay circuit; and

an electromagnetic valve provided in said water supply tube activated to flush a predetermined quantity of washing water in accordance with the predetermined width signal from said signal width control circuit. 933,557 483,464 References Cited 615,598 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 1,126,327

2,446,109 7/1948 Scarry 4-1 2,603,794 7/ 1952 Bokser 4-249 2,908,017 10/1959 Whaley 4-1 6 FOREIGN PATENTS 8/ 1963 Great Britain. 5/1952 Canada. 2/1961 Canada.

3/ 1962 Germany.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

D. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner. 

